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After being closed for over two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, on the afternoon of November 17th, Quang Nam welcomed 30 international tourists to stay at the Nam Hoi An (Hoiana) resort, following the landing of Vietnam Airlines flight VN417 at Da Nang airport. The tourists were mostly Vietnamese families visiting relatives and some foreigners from the United States, Canada, and South Korea.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, a Vietnamese expatriate from Germany, said he was very happy to have the opportunity to return to Vietnam after many years away. His trip is planned to last three weeks, and after completing the closed-door tour, he and his family will return to their hometown in Bac Ninh to visit relatives.
Upon landing, the group received a warm welcome from the airport staff.
All the guests were presented with flowers and had their photos taken at Da Nang airport.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province, Da Nang airport is scheduled to welcome two more international flights in November: Vietjet flight VJ7969 from Incheon Airport, South Korea, expected to land on November 18th with approximately 100 passengers, and Bamboo Airways flight QH9455 from Incheon Airport, South Korea, expected to land on November 25th with approximately 200 passengers.
Visitors must have received all doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, tested negative within 72 hours, have insurance covering Covid-19 treatment, and participate in an all-inclusive tour package offered by a travel agency.
After completing the necessary procedures, the tourists headed to the Nam Hoi An (Hoiana) resort complex for their vacation. The Quang Nam Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with the Hoiana resort, organized a welcoming ceremony, presenting flowers and souvenirs to the first international group of tourists to arrive in Quang Nam.
According to the plan, during their time participating in the tour program in the province, tourists can use services in Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, Hoiana, Vinpearl Golf Nam Hoi An, Vinpearl Resort & Golf Nam Hoi An, and TUI Blue Nam Hoi An Resort according to the pre-arranged schedule.
Hoi An experienced heavy rain on its first day of reopening.
Hoi An city officially reopened to tourists on November 15th; however, due to heavy rain, the streets of Hoi An were relatively deserted, even the Japanese Bridge - a popular spot for taking photos - was completely empty.
Besides the weather, the pandemic situation is also a reason why many tourist destinations in Hoi An are hesitant to reopen. Even many shops and restaurants that have reopened are still experiencing very low customer numbers.
Due to the "gloomy" atmosphere of the first day of reopening, the city of Hoi An in particular and Quang Nam province in general place great importance on organizing events to welcome tourists, even though carrying out such events is very difficult during the pandemic.
Many shops and restaurants have reopened, but they are still very empty.
Previously, Quang Nam province was highly praised for its preparation in epidemic prevention, developing response plans, and handling emerging medical incidents quickly and flexibly, ensuring that all activities welcoming tourists to the province took place smoothly and safely. Currently, all workers and staff at tourist destinations and service providers have received the full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
However, tourism activities in Quang Nam province have not yet fully resumed as many areas are still assessing the pandemic situation and are expected to reopen at the end of November or in December.
Ms. Truong Thi Ngoc Cam, Director of the Hoi An Cultural and Sports Center, said that currently, relevant authorities are preparing urban landscaping to be ready to serve tourists from November 23rd.
